Physical fitness plays an important role in developing and maintaining a healthy body and has gained attention worldwide. Governmental initiatives such as The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which has been implemented in the United States of America, help to reinforce the role of exercise in one's health. While such programs have increased awareness of the benefits of exercise, other programs and activities are still needed to establish exercise as a part of everyday life.
To incorporate exercise into people's daily lives, it is important to emphasize physical fitness during childhood so that good exercise habits may be developed and maintained as adults. With the advent of video games and television, however, children have become increasingly sedentary. To compound the problem, elementary schools have been moving physical activity out of the classroom setting due to budget cuts, time constraints, and an emphasis on testing. To provide children with some type of exercise during the school day, teachers play games in the classroom that provide entertainment in addition to exercise. Various types of games are routinely utilized for children of all ages. Examples of games incorporating an element of exercise are Duck Duck Goose or Head's Up 7-up, which are played as a reward to children for good behavior. Such games have gained popularity among teachers due to the simplicity with which they can be learned and played, especially in classroom environments. While these games do provide some exercise, the amount and type of exercise is very limited.
Bingo is a popular game that has enjoyed widespread use. Bingo-type games can be played by any number of participants of varying age. Due to the simplicity in which Bingo-type games can be learned and played, many different adaptations of Bingo-type games have been developed for both children and adults. Various adaptations of Bingo-type games have been developed for entertainment and/or educational purposes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,457, Shaw discloses a Bingo-type game that may be used to facilitate present opening. The game is played with each participant having a matrix with a type of gift randomly listed in each of the matrix squares. As gifts are opened, each participant marks or covers the square corresponding to the opened gift whereby the first person to mark or cover a horizontal row, a vertical column, or a diagonal line wins the game.
Another adaptation of a Bingo-type game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,179 by Hefferan. Hefferan discloses a holiday Bingo-type game utilizing stickers and candy markers. Each matrix incorporates a motif with a holiday theme. Symbols and or words relating to various holidays are randomly placed in each of the matrix squares. One of a plurality of cards each corresponding to a word or symbol located on any one of the matrices is drawn and called out. Upon the cards being called out, the participants cover or mark the square on their matrix corresponding to the called symbol or word. The first participant to mark or cover a horizontal row, a vertical column, or a diagonal line row wins the game.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,338, Beardsley discloses a Bingo-type game for teaching grammar. The Bingo type game disclosed by Beardsley includes a key card formed with a plurality of rows and columns and calling cards. The rows and columns create a plurality of spaces which include a different word or phrase indicative of a part of speech or a part of the English language. One of a plurality of cards each corresponding to a different word or phrase located in any one of the spaces on the key card is drawn and the word or phrase on the card is called out. Upon the cards being called out, the participants cover or mark the square on the key card corresponding to the called word or phrase. The first participant to mark or cover a horizontal row, a vertical column, or a diagonal line wins the game.
While there are various games that may be played among large groups of people, particularly entire classrooms of children, there still remains a need for other games, especially games incorporating physical fitness as an element of game play. With the simplicity by which Bingo-type games can be learned and played, especially among large groups of people, there is a need for a Bingo-type game that incorporates exercise as an element of game play.